Shoe platform beveler



June 8, 1948. H. R. SMITH 2,442,829

SHOE PLATFORM BEVELER4 Y Filed May l0, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet l June 8, 1948. H. R. SMITH SHOE PLATFORM BEVELER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 10, 1946 Jwezior June 8, 1948. H, R `SM|TH SHOE PLATFORM BEVELER Filed May 10.71946 -4 Sheets-Sheet I5 June 8, 1948. H, R, SMITH 2,442,829

SHOE PLATFORM BEVELER Filed May 1o, 1946 Y 4 sheets-sheet 4 Patented June 8, 'i948 UNI D STATES PATENT OFFICE 14 claims. l

This invention pertains to the manufacture of shoes of the so-called platform or California type and more particularly to a machine for beveling the rear end of a forepart platform preparatory to its incorporation in the shoe.

The platform, mid-sole or cushion member of a platform shoe customarily terminates at the shank or adjacent to the heel breast line when the shoe is to have a high heel, the forepart platform being made from stock of substantially uniform thickness while the heel usually varies in height and may be considerably thicker than the forepart or platform proper. Where the platform meets the heel it is desirable to provide an overlap of these parts and to this end the platform is customarily beveled to t the forward edge of the heel which is complementally beveled. The platform may be of substantial thickness, for instance, up to three-quarters of an inch or more, and is usually made of wood, sheet cork, felt or the like. Heretofore the beveling of the rear end of the platform has been done by hand and since the material of the platform is resistant to cutting, by reason of its hardness or resilient nature, this hand operation is slow and laborious and cannot be depended upon to produce uniform results.

One object of the present invention is to provide a power-driven apparatus for use in beveling the rear end of the forepart platform thereby greatly reducing the manual labor involved and at the same time insuring greater uniformity of product. A further object is to provide apparatus designed to enable the operator to vary the angle of the bevel at the rear end of the platform through a large range of adjustment so that the platform may be beveled to t heels of any usual type. Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in the following more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine with certain parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the base of the machine Viewed from the right side;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the stationary table of the machine;

Fig. 5 is a plan View (partly broken away) of the table of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a View from the right-hand side of Fig. 1 showing the work-supporting member in elevation;

Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section showing the work mounted on the worksupport in readiness for the beveling operation;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary plan view showing the Work-support and the work-clamping member;

Fig. 10 is a front elevation of an adjustable gauge or rest for positioning the lower edge of the work while it is being clamped to the Work-support;

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a shoe of the platform type with parts broken away;

Fig, 12 is a plan view of the beveled forepart platform; and

Fig. 13 is an edge view of the platform of Fig. 12.

Referring to drawings, the numeral l (Fig. 3) designates the base of the machine, which may be a casting and which has integral upstanding posts 2 and 3 near its right-hand edge. The base also has an upstanding supporting column 4 substantially mid-way between its front and rear edges and which is horizontally elongate transversely of the base and which is provided at its upper portion with a horizontal bearing for the saw shaft hereinafter described.

The posts 2 and 3 have vertical axial bores which receive the vertically adjustable legs 5 and 6. These legs may be held in adjusted position by means of appropriate set screws K (Fig. 1). The upper ends of these legs 5 and 6 are received in sockets in bosses l and 8, here shown as integral with the table 9. This table has a substantially at and horizontal upper surface Iii and is provided with a dove-tail slot H (Figs. 4 and 5) extending from its rear edge I`2 to its forward edge I 2a. This table is provided with a substantially vertical and smoothly finished lefthand edge I4 extending from the rear edge l2 to the point i3 and which is closely adjacent to the plane of movement of the cutter blade. Forwardly of the point i3 the table is widened to provide the extension l5 (Fig. 5) which supports the edge gauge.

This edge gauge (Fig. 10) comprises a hori- Zontal member I6 provided with elongate slots il (Fig. 2) which receive thumb screws I8 having threaded shanks which enter threaded openings in the extension I5 of the table, thus permitting the member I6 to be adjusted transversely of the table and to be xed in adjusted position. This edge gauge also comprises the workengaging member i9 (Fig. 10) which is hinged to the horizontal member I6 at the point 2B and which is provided with a bracket 2l near its free upper edge to which is pivoted the upper end dicularlyY to the plane of the member 29.

'left-hand edge-as viewed lin Fig. 9, the clamp base 3 of a longitudinally slotted adjusting link 22. The slot in this link receives a thumb screw 23 whose threaded shank enters a threaded opening in the end of the table 9. By loosening this thumb screw it is possible to swing the work-engaging member I9 about the hinge at 29, thus to vary the inclination of the member I9 with respect to the upper surface I of the table 9, the part I9 being secured in adjusted position by tightening the thumb screw 23.

The work-supporting carriage (Figs. 6 and 7) comprises a rigid bottom plate 25 designed to rest on and to slide longitudinally of the table 9. This member 25 is provided with a downwardly directed key member 25 (Fig. 7) which ts and slides in the dove-tail slot II of the table, thus guiding the carriage to slide longitudinally of the table. One leaf 21 of a hinge 'is secured to the member 25 adjacent to the right-hand edge of the latter as shown in Fig. '7, and to the other leaf 28 of this hinge there is secured the upwardly directed work-supporting member 29. This member 29 is a rigidY plate here shown as having'a smooth flat upper surface for engagement with the work, the plate 9 being 'capable of adjustment to various angles by swinging it about the axis of the hinge which connects it to the member 25. In order to bevel the platforms to any of the requisite angles required by the industry, the member 29 is desirably arranged as here shown, to swing from a vertical position (where it makes a 0 angle with the plane of' the saw blade), through an arc of the order of 45 or more.

Near the opposite edge of the member 25l (Fig. '7) there is arranged a bracket 30 having spaced upstanding legs providing supports for` the opposite ends of a pivot pin 3l forming a pivotal support for one end of a curved adjusting lever 32. This lever has an outer cam edge 33, here shown as of circular curvature with the center of curvature at the point C (Fig. '1), the edge 33 bearing against the under surface ofv the work-supporting member 29. The upper end of the lever 32 is provided with a handle 34 by means of which it may be manipulated. A bracket 35 is secured to the upper portion of the member 29 and comprises spaced, parallel, rigid ears 35 which receive between them the upper part of the lever 32, one of these ears 36 having a screw threaded opening which receives the threaded shank of a thumb screw 31. By tightening this thumb screw the leverr32 may be clamped between the ears 36, thus holding it in adjusted position. By swinging this lever about the pivot pin 3|, the member 29 may be swung about its hinge connection to the part 35, and when it has been adjusted to the desired angle the thumb screw 31 is tightened, thereby rigidly supporting the member 29.' at the desired angle.

A bracket 38 is secured to theunderside of the member 29, the bracket having a flange member 39 perpendicular to the plane of part 29and provided with spaced screw-threaded openings 40 (Fig. 7). A slidable clamp-base 4I (Fig. 1) is arranged to engage the outer surface of the flange 39, this base 4I having elongate slots'42 which receive clamping screws which enter the threaded openings 4I! in the flange 39, thus providingv for adjustment ofthe member 4| perpen- At its is provided with a `hinge 44i connecting it to a clamping Vplate 43. This clamping plate is provided at its right-hand side (Fig. 9) lwith a series 4 of projecting teeth or prongs 44 and is provided et its opposite side with a handle 45.

The bearing in the upper part of the support 4 of the base is designed to receive a rotary saw shaft 45 having the drive pulley 41 at its lefthand end (Fig. 1) which is designed to receive a power-driven driving belt. The opposite end of the shaft is provided with means for attaching thereto a disk cutter, here shown as a circular saw blade 48. The parts are so arranged that the plane of this disk cutter is disposed very close to but out of contact with the finished vertical edge I4 of the table 9, the cutter edge being disposed rearwardly of the extension I5 of the table.

In Fig. 11 a conventional platform shoe is illustrated, this shoe comprising the upper U, the heel block H and the platform P, the latter having the bevel B at its rear edge which is complemental to a bevel formed at the forward edge of the heel block H.

The platform P is, as above decsribed, customarily made from stock of substantially uniform thickness, for instance soft wood, sheet cork or the like. The platform is died out from this material by av suitably shaped die so as to give it the desired peripheral contour, the rear edge E (Fig. 12) of this blank, embryo platform or work piece thus produced usually being substantially straight. This rear edge portion of the work piece or blank as thus died out from the sheet stock is of the same thickness as the remainder of the blank. The object of the present apparatus is to form the bevel B at the rear edge of the platform.

Preparatory to the operation of the machine, the work-supporting member 29 is set to an angle relatively to the plane of the upper surface l0 of the table 9, which is the `complement of the desired angle of the platform, this adjustment being accomplished 'by loosening the set screw 31 and swinging the handle 34 so as by a cam action to swing the member 29 about its hinge connection to the part 21. When the proper angle has been attained the set screw 31 is tightened so as to hold the parts in adjusted position. Likewise the work-engaging member I9 is adjusted to the proper position .by loosening the set screw 23 and then tightening it after the part I9 has been properly located.

Assuming that the carriage is at the front of the machine, the operator swings the handle 45 so as to turn the clamping member 33 outwardly to the left away from the member 29. He then places the work piece P against the upper surface of the member 29 with its lower edge resting on the work-engaging member I9. This workengaging member I9 is normally stationary, that is to say it does not move with the work supporting carriage, and engages that part of the work piece which is removed as a triangular block by the action of the cutter. The lower edges of the parts I9 and 29 are spaced and so located that when the work piece is operatively positioned its lower edge is in the plane of the cutter blade. The operator then swings the handle 45 to the right (as Viewed in Fig. 9) and exerts suihcient pressure to force the teeth or prongs 44 into the substance of the platform member. He then pushes the carriage rearwardly by exerting pressure on the handles 34 and 45, until the saw blade has passed through the entire width of the work piece P. Usually the handles 34 and Il wll then be actuated to pull the carriage back to its initial position, whereupon the operator swings the.

handle 45 to disengage the clamp member $3 from the completed platform P and the latter is lifted from the support 29. Assuming that the support 29 has initially been set to the proper angle, the result of this operation is to form a bevel B having the desired angle, Obviously, by adjusting the support 29 to other angles, the angle of the bevel will be correspondingly changed. It is thus possible to bevel the platform to correspond to any type oi heel and to obtain substantially uniform results without requiring any particular skill or care on the part of the operator.

While one desirable embodiment of the invention has been described by way of example it is to be understood that the invention is broadly inclusive of any and all modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l'. Apparatus for cutting off a triangular block from one end of a work piece of substantially uniform thickness thereby to provide the work piece with a beveled edge, said apparatus comprising a movable cutter blade, a carriage and means guiding the carriage to move in a path parallel to the plane of the blade, a work-supporting member on the carriage, and means for clamping the work piece to the work-supporting member so that it cannot move relatively to the supporting member, a normally stationary work-engaging member independent oi the carriage oper ative, by contact with that portion of the work piece which will be removed by the cutter, to position the Work piece with an edge oi the latter in the plane of the cutter blade while the work piece is being clamped to the supporting member, the work-engaging member being adjustable about an axis parallel to the plane of the blade, and means whereby the 'carriage may be moved so as operatively to engage the work piece with the Cutter blade.

2. Apparatus for use in beveling the rear edge hinged to the carriage to turn about an axisparallel to and closely adjacent to the plane of the saw, means for fixing the workpiece to theY support, means for adjusting the angle between the support and the plane of the saw', and a normally stationary work-engaging member having a work-engaging surface disposed in a plane which makes a dihedral angle with the plane of the work` support with the apex of said angle substantially in the plane of the saw, hinge means adjustably supporting the work-engaging member to swing about an axis parallel to the plane of the saw, and means for holding the work-engaging member in adjusted position, said workengaging member being disposed adjacent to that end of the path of travel of the carriage at which the work is mounted on the carriage and being engageable with that portion of the work piece-which will be removed by the action of the saw thereby to locate thelower edge of the work piece while itis being clampedV to the support.

3. Apparatus for use in beveling the rear edge of a shoe platform, said apparatus comprising a rotary disk cutter, a carriage movable in a path parallel to the plane of the cutter, a work support mounted on the carriage to swing about an axis parallel to the path of the carriage, said support being capable of swinging from a position in which its work-engaging surface is parallel to the plane of the cutter through an angle of the order of 45, work-clamping means associated with the Work support, a normally stationary but adjustabl'e work-engaging member for locating the work piece on the work support while it is being clamped and prior to the cutting stroke of the carriage, and means for adjusting the work-en.- gaging member' to correspond to different inclinnations of the work support.

4. Apparatus for use in beveling the rear edge of a shoe platform, said apparatus comprising a rotary disk cutter, a carriage movable in a path parallel to the plane of the cutter, an adjustable work support mounted on the carriage to swing about an axis parallel to the path of the carriage, manually actuable cam means adjusting the work support, means carried by the work support for lixedly attaching the work piece to the latter, and a normally stationary work-engaging member which is adjacent to the carriage when the latter is at the work-receiving end of its stroke, said work-engaging member being operative temporarily to sustain the work piece while it is being clamped to the carriage.

5. Apparatus for use in beveling the rear edge of a shoe platform, said apparatus Vcomprising a rotary disk cutter, a carriage movable in a path parallel to the plane of the cutter, a Work support mounted on the carriage to swing about an axis parallel to the path of the carriage, said support being capable of adjustment to different angles relatively to the plane of the cutter, means for clamping the work piece to the work support, and a. normally stationary work-engaging member for determining the location of the lower edge of the work piece while the latter is being secured to the work support, said work-engaging member being adjustable to correspond to different inclinations of the work support.

6. Apparatus for use in beveling shoe platforms comprising a table, a rotary cutter blade` a carriage supported by the table, one edge of the carriage being ldisposed parallel with and closely adjacent to the plane of the cutter blade, means guiding the carriage to move in a path parallel to the plane of' the cutter blade, a work support hinged to the carriage to swing about an axis parallel to the path of the carriage, a lever pivoted to the carriage and having a cam face which engages the under side of the work support, means for moving the lever thereby to adjust the angle between the work support and the plane of the cutter, and means for fixing the work support in adjusted position.

'7. Apparatus for use in beveling shoe platforms comprising a stationary table, a rotary disk cutter, a carriage supported by the table. one edge of the carriage being disposed parallel to the plane of the cutter, means guiding the carriage to move in a path parallel to the plane of the cutter, a work support hinged to the carriage to swing about an axis parallel to the path of the carriage, a lever pivoted at one end to the carriage and having a handle at its opposite end, said lever having an arcuate edge which engages the under side of the work support, and releasable means operative to clamp the lever to the work support thereby to hold the latter in adjusted position.

8. Apparatus for use in beveling shoe platforms comprising a rotary disk cutter, a movable carriage, means guiding the carriage to move in a path parallel to the plane of the cutter, a work support hinged to the ycarriage adjacent to one edge of the latter to move about an axis parallel to the path of the carriage, a lever pivoted to the carriage adjacent to the opposite edge of the latter, means whereby the lever may be swung about its pivotal support, spaced members projecting from the under side of the work support and between which the free edge portion of the lever is disposed, and means carried by one of said projecting members for clamping the lever against the other of said members, the lever having a cam edge engageable with the work support.

9. Apparatus for use in beveling shoe platforms comprising a stationary table, a rotary cutter blade, a carriage supported by the table, one edge of the carriage being disopsed parallel with and closely adjacent to the plane of the cutter blade, means guiding the carriage to move in a path parallel to the plane of the bla-de, a work support hinged to the carriage to swing about an axis parallel to the path of movement of the carriage, said support having a substantially at work-engaging surface, and a hinged clamping member movable toward and from the work-engaging surface of the support, said clamping member having work-penetrating prongs operative to X the Work piece to the support, and a handle for moving the clamping member toward and from the work support.

10. Apparatus for use in beveling shoe platforms comprising a stationary table having a substantially straight edge, a movable cutter blade, a carriage supported by the table, one edge of the carriage being disposed parallel with and closely adjacent to one side of the cutter blade, means guiding the carriage to move in a path parallel to the plane of the cutter blade, a worksupporting plate hinged at its lower edge to the carriage to swing about an axis parallel to the plane of the cutter blade, a ilange member xed to and perpendicular to the work-supporting plate, a clamp base adjustably secured to said flange for adjustment in a direction perpen-dicular to the work-supporting plate, a clamp member hinged to said base, said clamp member having work-engaging prongs projecting from its face, and means for moving the pronged face of said clamp member toward and from the workcontacting surface of the Work-supporting plate.

11. A machine for beveling shoe platforms comprising a stationary table having a substantially straight edge, a rotary cutter disposed in a plane substantially parallel and adjacent to said edge, a carriage mounted on the table top with one edge of the carriage substantially parallel to said edge of the table, means guiding the carriage to move in a path parallel to the plane of the cutter, a work rest on the carriage, said rest having a surface for engagement with one face of the work piece, an adjustable work-engaging member mounted on the table at the opposite side of the plane of the cutter from the carriage and arranged to engage the lower edge of the work piece prior to the beginning of the operative stroke of the carriage, and a hinged clamp operative to x the 'work piece to the work-enaging face of the support.

12. Apparatus for use in beveling shoe platrms comprising a stationary table having a s bstantially straight edge, a rotary cutter disposed in a plane parallel and adjacent to said edge and perpendicular to the plane of the table, a carriage supported by the table, one edge of the carriage being disposed parallel with and closely adjacent to said straight edge of the table and at one side of the plane of the cutter, means guiding the carriage to move in a path parallel to said edge of the table, a work rest on the carriage, means for clamping one face of a Work piece against the work rest, a normally stationary Work-engaging member mounted on the tableA at the opposite side of the plane of the cutter from the carriage, means operative to adjust the work support from a position in which its workengaging surface is substantially parallel to the plane of the cutter through an arc of the order at 45, and means for adjusting the work-engaging member so that its work-engaging surface will be substantially perpendicular to the workengaging surface of the work support in any position of adjustment of the latter.

13. Apparatus for use in beveling shoe platforms comprising a rotary cutter blade, a movable carriage, means guiding the carriage to move in a path parallel to the plane of the cutter blade, a Work support hinged to the carriage, means operative to hold the work support at any selected angle within a predetermined range relatively to the plane of the cutter, a normally stationary work-engaging member hinged to the table at the opposite side of the plane of the cutter from the carriage so as to swing about an axis parallel to the path of the carriage, a slotted link pivoted to the gauge, and means for releasably securing the link to the table thereby to hold the Work-engaging member at any desired angle of inclination relatively to the plane of the cutter,

14. Apparatus for use in beveling shoe platforms comprising a stationary table having a substantially straight edge, a rotary cutter disposed in a plane parallel and adjacent to said edge and perpendicular to the plane of the table, a carriage supported by the table, one edge of the carriage being disposed parallel with and closely adjacent to said straight edge of the table and at one side of the plane of the cutter, means guiding the carriage to move in a path parallel to said edge of the table, a work support mounted on the carriage, said support having a work-engaging surface, and means operative to adjust the Work support from a position in which its work-engaging surface is substantially parallel to the plane of the cutter through an arc of the order of 45, and a normally stationary edge gauge having a work-engaging surface mounted on the table, said edge gauge being adjustable thereby to dispose its work-engaging surface in a plane perpendicular to the work-engaging surface of the support'regardless of the position of adjustment of the latter.

HUBERT R. SMITH.

REFERENCE S CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 458,098 Croswell Aug. 8, 1891 1,642,719 Brogan Sept. 20, 1927 1,784,028 Pollard Dec, 9, 1930 2,119,762 Wilson June 7, 1938 2,187,312 Goodlake Jan. 16, 1940 2,379,844 Weinberger July 3, 1945 

